Akiko Yamahara

Akiko Yamahara is the Global General Counsel for Citi Global Wealth since October 2021 and Citi Private Bank from September 2012 to November 2023. She is a member of the Legal Management Committee since September 2023. Akiko joined Citigroup in 2003 to provide legal coverage for the investment banking business in Japan. During her eight years in Tokyo, she expanded her role and became the General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer and served on the Board of Directors of Citigroup Global Markets Japan. She subsequently moved to London to cover the EMEA private banking business and EMEA consumer bank business. She is based in New York since July 2013. She chairs Citi Legal’s One Legal Forum coordinating Employee Engagement Council, Diversity Council, Pro Bono Council and Global Legal Academy. She also serves as a Steering Committee member for Asian Heritage Network for Citi and represents Citi at National Women’s Law Center, a non-profit organization based in Washington DC.

Prior to joining Citi in 2003, Ms. Yamahara worked at Shearman & Sterling in New York and Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

From 2004 to 2006 she taught International Securities Regulation and Negotiations classes at Temple University School of Law in Tokyo as an adjunct professor. From 2023, she also serves on the Board of Overseers at Temple University Japan.

Ms. Yamahara received her J.D. from New York University Law School, and a Bachelor of Science, majoring in finance and international business from New York University, Stern School of Business.

She also received the Best In-House Lawyer Award in Japan in 2009 from Asian Legal Business, Asian Women in Business Law Award in 2011 from IFLR and nominated as IFLR’s 21 most influential bankers’ counsel in 2011. She also received the most inspiring corporate leader award from Asia Society in 2024.